Azaleothrips lixinae, Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2015

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2015, Fungus-feeding Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripinae of the Idiothrips genus-group in Australia, with nine new species, Zootaxa 4034 (2), pp. 325-341 : 327-328

Azaleothrips lixinae sp.n.

( Figs 2, 5–8 )

Female macroptera. Head and body, in life, with much red pigment; surface of body and legs light brown, head submarginally with longitudinal paler areas; tube and antennae darkest, tarsi yellow; fore wing and all major setae pale.

Head as wide as or wider than long, cheeks strongly rounded ( Fig. 5 ); vertex with delicate, complex reticulate sculpture, without major setae; fore ocellus in small depression, directed forwards; eyes slightly larger dorsally than ventrally; maxillary stylets retracted to eyes, close together medially. Antennae 8-segmented, VII and VIII forming single unit but with complete suture, and ventral row of small sensoria on VIII extending onto distal half of VII; segment III with 3 stout sense cones, IV with 4. Pronotum with similar sculpture to head ( Fig. 8 ), with 5 pairs of broadly capitate major setae; notopleural sutures complete. Mesonotum with narrow transverse reticulation, lateral setae small and capitate. Metanotum with bold longitudinal, narrow reticulation ( Fig. 8 ), median setae small and finely pointed, anterior third with one or two pairs of small setae. Prosternal basantra absent; ferna transverse, almost continuous medially; mesopresternum complete but narrow medially; metathoracic sternopleural sutures long and slender. Fore tarsus with small acute tooth, shorter than half tarsal width. Fore wing almost parallel-sided, with about 8 duplicated cilia; sub-basal setae S1 and S2 short and broadly capitate, S3 longer and pointed. Pelta bell-shaped, reticulate, with campaniform sensilla ( Fig. 6 ); tergites II–VII each with 2 pairs of sigmoid setae but anterior pair on each tergite smaller than posterior pair; posteromarginal paired setae arise close to posterior sigmoid setae, broadly and asymmetrically capitate; tergites II–VII lateral thirds with dentate microtrichia on sculpture lines; VIII with about 8 small discal setae medially; tergite IX setae S1 and S2 capitate, shorter than basal width of tube ( Fig. 7 ); tube rather short, anal setae no longer than tube. Sternites with marginal setae short, little longer than discal setae.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1750. Head, length 195; width 205. Pronotum, length 120; width 225; major setae, am 15, aa 20, ml 15, epim 25, pa 20. Fore wing length 620. Tergite IX setae, S1 35; S2 45. Tube length 100. Antennal segments III–VII+VIII length, 60, 55, 55, 40, 65.

Male macroptera. Very similar to female but smaller, tarsal tooth slightly larger; tergite IX setae S2 with apex blunt not capitate; sternite VIII with small circular pore plate centrally.

Material studied. Holotype female, South Australia, Meningie, dead Eucalyptus branch, 3.x.2013 (LiXin Eow 248).

Paratypes: South Australia, Salt Creek, 15km South of Coorong, 2 females from dead Eucalyptus branches, 11.iii.2011; Ngarcat National Park, 1 female, 1 male from dead Eucalyptus leaves, 4.x.2013. Queensland, Carnarvon Station, 1 male from Rosa banksiae fls, 9.x.2014 (DJT1871).

Comments. From the other species of Azaleothrips this species differs in having no postocular setae in either sex, and in having a small circular pore plate on sternite VIII of the male instead of the usual broad pore plate. No differences could be found between the male from Queensland and the male from South Australia.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Idiothrips genus-group from Australia. Antennae 1 – 4: (1) Idiothrips bellus from Iran; (2) Azaleothrips lixinae; (3) Stictothrips namadji; (4) Strepterothrips verruculus. Azaleothrips lixinae 5 – 8: (5) head; (6) pelta and tergites; (7) tergites VII – IX and tube; (8) pronotum and metanotum.